The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) concluded its statewide spring Venture School program the week of April 20 by awarding $16,750 in prize money during final pitches at five locations.
Placing first at the centers were MiDi LLC (Barbara O'Rourke) from Des Moines, Monarch Construction (Laura and Jeff Edwards) from Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, Swift Lift Logistics (Luke and Starr Benjamin) from Mason City, Home Plate Sports Cards (Eddie Pierson) from Ottumwa, and Sutton Analytics (Jennifer Sutton) from the Quad Cities.
Venture School pitch winners highlight a diverse range of businesses. In Des Moines, O’Rourke’s MiDi LLC is advancing neonatal care with a milk-drop feeding device that connects to pacifiers, helping premature infants in NICUs receive nutrients through a more natural suckling process. In Iowa City, Monarch Construction, a mother-son, female-owned business, delivers quality construction services at a fixed price. In Mason City, Swift Lift Logistics provides white-glove moving and senior transition services, reducing the physical and emotional stress of relocation. In Ottumwa, Pierson’s Home Plate Sports Cards blends passion and retail, offering curated sports card bundles through both a storefront and regional retail partners. And in the Quad Cities, Sutton’s Sutton Analytics supports businesses with data-driven forecasting for limited-time offers and new product launches.
The seven-week Venture School is sponsored by Iowa JPEC and includes hub locations in Des Moines, Iowa City, Mason City, Ottumwa, and the Quad-Cities. The statewide Venture School training program focuses on real-world experimentation, customer discovery, and Lean LaunchPad methodologies. Partnering with Iowa JPEC for Venture School are the University of Iowa Small Business Development Center, Eastern Iowa Community College, North Iowa Area Community College, Des Moines Area Community College, and The Innovation Lab Dubuque.
Venture School returns in the fall with cohorts scheduled to begin the last week of September (Iowa City/Cedar Rapids) and the first week of October (all other cohorts). For more information, click HERE.
About Iowa JPEC: Iowa JPEC's mission is to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem and to launch and scale successful Iowa startups.
| DES MOINES COHORT | |||
| PLACE | PROJECT | PRESENTER | AMOUNT |
| 1st Place | MiDi LLC | Barbara O'Rourke | $2,500 |
| 2nd Place | Minarium | Rob Walczak | $1,500 |
| 3rd Place | Mas Cafe | Alicia Hoyos | $1,000 |
| IOWA CITY/CEDAR RAPIDS COHORT | |||
| 1st Place | Monarch Construction | Laura Edwards, Jeff Edwards | $2,500 |
| 2nd Place | The Makers Collective Hub | Brianne Nicholson | $1,500 |
| 3rd Place | Patterson Pixel | David Patterson | $500 |
| Best Customer Discovery | OutFour | Rob Hajek, Mike Hekker | $500 |
| MASON CITY COHORT | |||
| 1st Place | Swift Lift Logistics | Luke & Starr Benjamin | $1,750 |
| 2nd Place | Snap Cache | Ryan Tostenson | $1,250 |
| 3rd Place | Let Them Smile | Brima & Michaella Caulker | $750 |
| Non-Profit Award | Clear Lake Chamber Marketing Studio | Libbey Hohn, Maddie Anderly, Stacy Doughan | $500 |
| OTTUMWA COHORT | |||
| 1st Place | Home Plate Sports Cards | Eddie Pierson | $500 |
| 2nd Place | Sterling Sunshine Properties | Naomi Sunshine | $300 |
| 3rd Place | The Dessert Mixologists | Rae Guillermo | $200 |
| QUAD-CITIES COHORT | |||
| 1st Place | Sutton Analytics | Jennifer Sutton | $1,500 |
